On September 9, 2026, A-PAD’s Executive Director Kaori Neki and Saki Sato visited the Sri Lankan Embassy in Tokyo and met with the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Japan, H.E. Prof. Pivithuru Janak Kumarasinghe.

A-PAD highlighted its activities in the Asia-Pacific region as well as the disaster preparedness and response efforts being undertaken by the team at A-PAD Sri Lanka – Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, emergency relief efforts during Cyclone Ditwah, and activities aimed at strengthening disaster preparedness during non-emergency time.

Ambassador Kumarasinghe expressed his hope for A-PAD’s efforts to build disaster preparedness through multi-sectoral collaboration and for its activities in Sri Lanka.

The Ambassador also spoke about the importance of disaster preparedness in Sri Lanka, and discussed the importance of fostering knowledge and awareness of disaster preparedness from a young age, particularly at school. As climate change makes natural disasters more frequent and severe, they share the same understanding about “we can never be prepared enough” and reaffirmed the importance of continuous preparedness.

A-PAD will continue to work with various stakeholders to strengthen disaster preparedness and response capacities and contribute to improving resilience in the Asia-Pacific region.